Waste management remains a major challenge in Indonesia. This issue is not only about the increasing volume of waste but also about waste management systems that are not yet optimal. Amid rapid technological developments, various innovations are now being used to help address this problem. One of them is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
A lecturer from the Department of Management at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), Luluk Lusiantoro, S.E., M.Sc., Ph.D., together with a research team from FEB UGM, has developed an AI-powered application for waste management. The application, called Westa, is designed to support better waste management.
She explained that the development of this application stemmed from concerns about the poor organisation of Indonesia’s current waste management system.
Currently, identifying waste types is still largely manual, carried out by waste collectors or recycling agents. However, this process is not easy and not many people are willing to do it,” she said in the FEB UGM Podcast titled The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Circular Economy.
The Westa application makes waste identification quicker and more convenient. Users take a photo of the waste with a smartphone camera, and the AI system automatically recognizes the type of waste using computer vision. In addition, the Westa application can also estimate the weight of the waste generated.
Data on waste weight are important because they are used to estimate the carbon emissions generated by waste. During development, the Westa team uses EPA emission factors as a reference for calculating carbon emissions. The application’s functionality includes identifying the product brands associated with the waste.
“By identifying product brands, the collected waste data can help trace producers whose products contribute to waste,” Luluk explained.
This capability is related to the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the circular economy. This principle emphasizes that producers are responsible not only for the production and distribution stages but also for the environmental impact of their products after they are consumed.
Additionally, the application includes a geotagging feature that allows the system to record the location of specific waste. Through this feature, the data generated not only shows the types of waste but also reveals patterns of waste distribution across different regions.
The data collected through the Westa application can serve as a basis for governments and stakeholders in formulating more effective waste management policies. Through this data analysis, the government can also identify products that generate large amounts of waste, encouraging producers to take greater responsibility for waste management.
In the future, Westa’s development will focus not only on organisations and institutions, but also on wider public use.
“Westa is expected to be developed to reach the level of individual consumers. Through this application, people can photograph the waste they produce and view their daily or weekly waste profiles through the application dashboard,” she explained.
By understanding the types of waste they produce most frequently, users can identify patterns of overconsumption and consider reducing unnecessary consumption, thereby minimizing waste.
Luluk hopes that Westa can eventually develop into a waste circular ecosystem, a digital ecosystem that provides comprehensive data on waste profiles in Indonesia.
“We hope that Westa can become a one-stop waste circular ecosystem that provides data on waste types and volumes, recycling rates, and carbon impacts, which various stakeholders can utilize to support more sustainable waste management,” she concluded.
Reported by: Dwi Zhafirah Meiliani
Editor: Shofi Hawa Anjani
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